St. Paul daily globe., 1887-11-18
ATERRIBLE TRAGEDY.
Suicide of An Old and W Ill
Known Vessel Owner
at Detroit,
After Killing His Paramour,
Who Was the Wife Of an
Employe.
The Entire Affair Involved in
Mystery--Some Family
Quarrels.
Several Mormon Elders TarPed
and Feathered by Indig-
nant AlabamianS.
Special 10 the Globe.

DETROIT. Nov. t7.-Capt. A. ii. Mills,
a well-knuwn vessel man, shot himself
at his home OH jefferson avenue this
evening. Capt. Mills was once the
owner of the finest line of harbOr tugs
here. Several years ago his son, William
A, secured by some means two OF MS
best tugs, and set up an opposition busl-
ness. The captain s remaining tugs were
decided to his wife. Three years ago
his wife Sarah F., died, leaving the
old captain as executor Of the VIII.
which devised the property to three
Younger children. Mary. Andrew and
Agnes. Mrs. Mills was q niece OF cX-
Gov. Morgan. of New York, and the
captain had great expectations of prop
erfy from that source, causing him TO
live rather highly. The Morgan estate
did not pan out very greatly, and Mrs.
Mills share was
PAID IN WABASH BONDS
at par, though they were worth only 1T.
For a couple of years then the old man
pooled his tug business with his son
William A, but the latter thought he
could do better alone, and this year left
the father to look after himself. The
old cantain bought his coal in Windsor.
on the Canadian side of the river, and
getting into debt for il. his tugs We're
seized by the Judge of the maritime
court for the fuel bill. Then the
daughter Mary began TO fear that the
property was melting too fast, and that
her father was getting too seriously III
Yolved, and determined 10 secure the
appointment of an administrator. Three
days ago she 49,
PUT IN A PETITION
asking for the removal OF her father
from the charge of her mothers estate.
on the ground that he had never quail
fed. Her petition was granted and C.
j. Berry. a lawyer. appointed admins
traitor. To-day Berry made atlidavits
that Capt. Mills was unlawfully holding
some of the property. At Go'clOck he
went to call on the captain. and had not
got out of the house. after stormy in
terview. when pistol shot rang from
the old man room. He had blown out
his brains, and was found dead on the
floor with smoking pistol beside him.
1t is given out that he shot himself. but
an inquest will be held. The ball en-
tered tine head back of the left ear, and
the revolver was held 50 close to the
head as to burn the hair. He had been
sitting atA Atable writ m. These facts
lead Ia ny suspicious III some minds OF
foul play.
\ NEW Compile ALTON
was aided TO the Mills case by the find
ing of the dead body of Mrs. Austin
Rising. wife of the manager of Capt.
Mills tug line. in her bedroom on Con
gress street but a few blocks from the
Mills residence, tonight. il has long
been a matter of rumOr that Capt. Mills
was unduly familiar with his manager
wife This afternoon he telephoned to
Mr.. Rising that he wanted to see him
about the tugs and would meet him on
the dock at o'clock. This was about
80. Immediately afterwards the cap
tain went To Mrs. RiSing'S residence.
Shortly after ; he was seen to run out OF
the Rising residence and hasten towards
his home. About $50 o'clock Mr.. RiS
ing went home with male companion
and the two drank merry freely
OF whisky Policeman Mulh0lland hear
ing their noise looked through the
blinds, and saw Rising, after drinking,
pick up a lamp and go into his wife's
bed room. He came out Immediately,
and the two men, after taking another
drink, went to Capt. Mills residence.
Rising returned home alone about 1880,
and on going into his Wife'S room for
the first time found her dead body. She
lay Oh the bed, with her head riddled
with bullets, and her blood and brains
scattered over the fOOr and walls. He
rushed out and shouted for help. Off
Ger Mulholland came up and arrested
Rising on suspicion of having killed his
wife. Rigor mortis had already set in,
showing that she had been dead some
hours. 1t appears from the testimony
of Capt. Stone, of the steam yacht
Leila, that Mills
HAD A QUARREL
with Mrs. Rising over some appoint
ment which he prOfeSsed to believe she
had made with another man. Mills told
Stone, whom he met coming out of the
house. that she would never keep the
appointment for he had torn her Jacket
up. The jacket was valuable one and
9 present from Mills. 1t was found in
the house tonight torn in shreds. it
would seem that Mills had killed his
mistress and then gone home and shot
himself. Mrs. Rising's body has been
taken to the m0rgue for an eXamina-
tiIn to the number and character of the
wounds. Rising is confined in the police
station, though ihe coroner believes
him innocent of any knowledge of the
crime